about

LYNDSAY

CALLIGRAPHY VS. HAND LETTERING

Calligraphy is the art of creating beautiful lettering. While I have formally studied the art of calligraphy and am skilled in traditional scripts, I enjoy writing in modern calligraphic styles as well. I am often asked, "How is calligraphy different from lettering? Aren't they the same thing?" For me, they are very different.

Whereas in lettering, I think of each letter as its own small piece of art within a larger composition, I think of calligraphy as being more systemic. Each lettering style has its own language of shape, proportion, and angle; and each letter will be the same every time that it appears, save for the imperfections that naturally occur in writing produced by hand.

I think of hand lettering as an art that is customized for each project, and each letter is designed individually as a smaller component within a larger composition. The same letter may appear to be the same or very different from itself each time that it appears.

My lettering clients are typically (but not always) larger entities, such as corporations or organizations. Lettering is a great technique for logos and marketing campaigns, monograms and artwork, merchandise and apparel, to name a few applications.